Yes, you can earn gift cards by playing games on your phone. Reward apps pay you points or cash for playing, and you trade those in for free gift cards to Amazon, Target, Walmart and more.
If you’re already spending time on mobile games, you might as well get rewarded for it. Below are 7 picks: 5 game apps that pay you, plus 2 free ways to find sign-up bonuses. You’ll see what each one pays in and tips to earn faster. No gimmicks, just real apps that turn your playtime into perks.
| App | Key Number | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bigcash #1 Pick 3,000+ game offers. $1 minimum cashout. | $50-$170 premium offers | ★★★★★ 4.8 | Start Playing → |
| Testerup Top Payouts $10 welcome bonus. PayPal, gift card or bank. | $200+ per game goal | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | Get $10 Bonus → |
| Branded Test apps and games. 100 points free at sign-up. | $10-$100 per game | ★★★★★ 4.7 | Browse Games → |
| Freecash $10 sign-up bonus. Gift cards or PayPal. | $10 sign-up bonus | ★★★★★ 4.8 | Get Free $10 → |
| Mistplay Gift Cards Android app. Amazon and virtual Visa gift cards. | $5 gift card at 1,500 units | ★★★★★ 4.5 | Get Mistplay → |
| ReferralWallet Rip free packs to reveal cash sign-up bonuses. | $5-$15 per bonus | 100% free | Rip a Pack → |
| SavingLoop Free daily spin that unlocks a sign-up bonus offer. | Up to $75 bonus offer | Free to spin | Spin Free → |
The 7 Best Picks to Earn Gift Cards
Quick context: every app below is free to start. The biggest earners are first, then the apps built around gift cards. Each card tells you whether it pays in gift cards, PayPal cash or both. The last two are not games. They are free ways to find sign-up bonuses you can stack on top.
Bigcash is my top pick for getting paid to test games, and it’s the one I keep coming back to. You get a $15 welcome bonus just for signing up, then choose from over 3,000 live offers that pay real money for hitting milestones inside mobile games. Download a puzzle game, reach level 10, earn $15. Some premium offers pay $50 to $170 if you stick with a game longer. The best part is the $1 minimum cashout, so you’re never stuck waiting to hit some high threshold before you can withdraw to PayPal.
Testerup pays you to test new apps and games from your couch, and you get a $10 welcome bonus straight after sign-up. Once you join, you see a list of offers. Pick a game, reach the levels it asks for and get paid. A single game goal can pay over $200. Offers vary in difficulty and time, so choose wisely. It is free to join, and payouts are approved within hours to PayPal, gift card or bank.
Branded pays you to try popular apps and games. Browse 200+ live offers, pick a game that looks fun, follow the instructions like installing the app and reaching a certain level, and points hit your account when you finish. Game offers pay $10-$100, and you redeem points for cash or gift cards. You also get 100 points just for signing up. No deposit, no spending your own money, no competing against anyone. The tradeoff is time. Bigger offers take days of casual play, but they pay out.
Freecash pays you for playing games, sharing your opinion in surveys, watching videos, checking out new apps and signing up for offers. You get a $10 bonus when you sign up. Every task earns coins. Think of them like game points. Every 1,000 coins is worth $1. Once you have enough coins, you swap them for gift cards or cash through PayPal.
Mistplay pays you to play games. No, really. Download the Android app from the Play Store and you will see a list of popular games like Super Mario Run, Pokemon Go, Fruit Ninja, Chess and Solitaire. Install a game from your mixlist, play it to earn units, then redeem your units for free gift cards. 1,500 units gets you $5 in gift cards to places like Amazon, or a virtual Visa card. You never deposit any money.
ReferralWallet turns finding sign-up bonuses into a game. Instead of scrolling a boring list, you rip open digital packs to reveal real cash offers from apps like Bigcash and Testerup. Every offer inside is a legit sign-up bonus, so you’re stacking free money from apps you were probably going to try anyway. No deposit, no account fees, nothing to buy. Rip a pack, claim the bonus, repeat.
SavingLoop is the one on this page you do not download. It gives you one free spin a day on a wheel loaded with real sign-up bonuses worth up to $75. What you land on is an actual offer from an app or bank that pays new users to join, not points and not a sweepstakes entry. There is nothing to buy and no card to enter, and the whole thing takes about ten seconds.
TL;DR: Start With These
If you’re only downloading a couple of apps, start here: Bigcash for 3,000+ game offers and a $1 minimum cashout, and Testerup for the $10 welcome bonus and game goals that can pay over $200. For gift cards, add Freecash, or Mistplay on Android. Want more sign-up bonuses to stack on top? Take a free spin on SavingLoop.
Which Gift Cards Can You Get?
These apps do not hand you a gift card for every level. You earn points, coins or units as you play, then trade them in once you hit the app’s minimum.
Mistplay is the most direct. 1,500 units gets you $5 in gift cards to places like Amazon, or a virtual Visa card. Freecash counts 1,000 coins as $1 and lets you swap coins for gift cards or PayPal. Branded lets you redeem points for cash or gift cards. Testerup pays by PayPal, gift card or bank, with no fees on gift cards.
Bigcash pays PayPal cash instead, with a $1 minimum cashout. Cash works too, because you can spend it at any store you want. Our Bigcash review covers its rules and cash outs.
After a specific store? Here is how to get free Amazon gift cards, free Target gift cards and free Walmart gift cards. If cash is the goal, see these PayPal games that pay real money and games that pay instantly to Cash App.
How Long Does It Take to Earn a Gift Card?
It depends on the app’s minimum and how much you play. Low minimums pay first. Bigcash lets you cash out at $1, so you see money almost right away.
Mistplay needs 1,500 units for a $5 gift card. You can usually earn around $40 per month with active gameplay. That works out to about eight $5 gift cards a month.
The big game goals take longer. Bigger Branded offers take days of casual play. A Testerup goal can pay over $200, but you have to reach the level the offer asks for first. Once you cash out, Testerup approves payouts within hours.
None of this replaces a paycheck. It is gift card money for time you already spend on your phone.
How to Earn Gift Cards Faster
Grab the sign-up bonuses first. Testerup gives you $10 straight after sign-up, Freecash gives you $10 and Branded gives you 100 points. ReferralWallet and SavingLoop show you more sign-up bonuses to stack on top, and there are more on my list of free sign-up bonus offers.
Read the goal before you install. Every offer lists what you have to do and what it pays. Offers vary in difficulty and time, so pick the ones you will actually finish.
Use two or three apps. Each app lists different games, so more apps means more offers to pick from. Pair Bigcash or Testerup with Freecash, where surveys and videos keep your balance growing on days you do not feel like playing.
Cash out as soon as you hit the minimum. A gift card in your inbox is worth more than points sitting in an app.
On an iPhone? Mistplay is an Android app, so start with these iOS games for money. For more options, see how to get paid to play games, these free gift card apps and other ways to make money from your phone.
What to Avoid
Apps that make you deposit to play. If you have to put money in before you can win, you can lose it. Stick with apps that pay you without a deposit, like these no-deposit games that pay real money.
Minimums you can never reach. A cashout minimum that keeps moving is the most common trick. A low, fixed minimum is the best sign an app is real.
Big promises. Be cautious of any app that says you will get rich playing games. Real apps pay small amounts for your time.
Gift card offers that ask for a lot of personal info. If a site wants your card number to send you a free gift card, close the tab.
Want more tested picks? See the best game apps to win real money and more games that pay real money.
FAQs
Yes. These apps pay you points, coins or units for hitting goals inside games, and you trade those in for gift cards or PayPal cash. On Mistplay, for example, 1,500 units gets you a $5 gift card.
Mostly casual mobile games. Mistplay lists games like Super Mario Run, Fruit Ninja, Chess and Solitaire. Bigcash, Testerup and Branded pay you for hitting milestones inside mobile games, like reaching a certain level. You pick a game in the app, install it and play to the goal.
It depends on the app. Mistplay pays in gift cards, including Amazon and virtual Visa cards. Freecash and Branded let you choose gift cards or cash. Testerup pays by PayPal, gift card or bank transfer. Bigcash pays through PayPal.
No. All 7 picks on this list are free to join and none of them ask for a deposit. Be careful with other game apps that charge an entry fee or make you deposit to play, and check the terms before you put any money in.
Low minimums pay first. Bigcash lets you cash out at $1, and Mistplay gives you a $5 gift card at 1,500 units. With active play, Mistplay usually pays around $40 a month. Bigger Testerup goals take longer but can pay over $200.
Ready to Earn Your First Gift Card?
You are on your phone a lot already. These 7 picks turn some of that time into gift cards and PayPal cash.
Pick one app, hit the minimum and cash out once. Start with Bigcash. Add Testerup for the $10 welcome bonus, then Mistplay or Freecash for the gift cards. There are more ideas in this guide on how to get free gift cards.
